Bride of the Strigoi
by J.C. Conner
Summary: AU Shadow Kiss-Rose went back for Dimitri in the caves only to get taken by the strigoi to be a bride to one. Dimitri, thinking she's dead, returns home to Russia only to find out that his Roza is still alive when his younger sister Viktoria gets taken by the same group of Strigoi. Cover image belongs to lovesucksns.
1. The Trap

Rose

It was chaos. I couldn't see Dimitri anymore; I couldn't see what had happened to him. Indecision flashed over my mother's features as she tried to decide to flee or flight, and then regret all over her face, she kept running towards the exit. Meanwhile, I was trying to run _back _inside, but someone was stopping me. It was Stan.

"What are you doing, Rose? More are coming."

Didn't he understand? Dimitri was in there. I had to get to Dimitri.

I elbowed him in the grion and he instantly let me go. I made my way into the darkness of the cave.

Dimitri was laying unconscious on the ground when I finally saw him. I quickly ran and kneel to his side. His skin was pale from the blood lost and his clothing with torn in a lot of places. I check for a pulse, it was faint but it was there.

_He's alive, Rose. _I told myself.

"Dimitri? Can you hear me?" I said frantically.

I heard him groan slighty. "Roza?"

"We have to hurry." I said, trying to get him up. "Can you-"

I was thrown back into the walls of the caves. My vision was getting disoriented. I grabbed for my stake but it was kicked out of my hands. Cold hands went around my throat and I started to kick and scream. I saw two strigoi standing over Dimitri.

"Get away from him!" I snarled.

The strigoi who was holding me back, smiled and whispers to me: "If you behave yourself, no one else has to die." And then he slams my head against the rocky wall and I fell into the darkness and pain.

* * *

Dimitri

When I came into conscious, I was in the clinic of the school. I was expecting to see Roza sitting by my bedside. She wasn't there. Dr. Olendzki came with clip board in her hand. She looked very tried as if she's been up all night.

"Glad to see you're awake Guardian Belikov. You were really lucky. You almost died of blood loss." She informed me.

"How's Roz-excuse me, Rose Hathaway?" I ask.

She gave me a sad sympathic look. "Um...there was a loss of six guardians and a novice."

No. It couldn't be true. It has to be a lie. Someone made a mistake. Roza couldn't be dead. I quickly started to get up from my cot. Dr. Olendzki was trying to stop me.

"Guardian Belikov you have to calm down." She said.

"I have to get Guardian Hathaway. They have to got back into the caves. They have-" I babbled on.

"Rose is dead." She told me. I stop struggling, letting horrible truth sink in. "I'm sorry but Rose Hathaway is not coming back."

* * *

Rose

I woke up to a pair of red ringed eyes staring down at me. My head felt like someone ran a freight train over it and dip it in acid all at the same time. I felt my arms and legs were tied together tightly.

"Well Miss Hathaway, glad to see you're finally awake." The blonde strigoi said to me. "Sadly it'll be a while before we get home."

I glared at him deeply, struggling to break free. The blonde strigoi got annoyed with me and grasped my neck tighly. I instantly began gasping for air. He moves his face close to mines, bright red meancing eyes looking deep into my brown ones.

"You just don't know when to quit fighting." He signs deeply. "You're face is turning blue." He lets of my neck and I was gasping and coughing hard.

"Bastard." I gasped out. I realized that we were in a car with very tinted windows. There was two male strigoi in the front, one driver and one passenger.

The strigoi who was driving was yelling something in Russian in which the blonde responded back in Russian. Hearing the language, I instantly thought of Dimitri and how the last time I saw him, fighting for his life against the strigoi in the caves-

Sudden anger rose within me. "Where's Dimitri?" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Dimitri?" The blonde strigoi questions. "Oh you must be talking about the russian dhampir. He's still alive. I was thinking of awaking him...but then I saw you, Rose and how beautiful you look when you're absolutely scared."

"Why don't you just kill me already?" I asked, half annoyed half scared.

"Because it's no fun." He replies simply. "I don't believe in wasting beauty."

In the corner of eye, the strigoi in the front passenger seat pulling something from his coat pocket and gave it to the blonde strigoi. It was a needle halfway filled with clear liquid. I started to panic.

"This is to keep you calm-"

No way I'm gonna let them awakened me. I started to kick and scream as hard as I can. I manage to knock the needle from his hands but he had other ideas.

"Seriously Rosemarie." He signs, grabbing me by the thoart again. "Why must you do things the hard way?"

I felt my head going backwards in high speed against the window, hearing and feeling the glass crack before I was swimming in darkness.


	2. She's Not There

Rose

Even when I'm unconscious, I still end up inside of Lissa's head. She was worried. She was afraid. Christian was with her. Although his clothes with damaged beyond repair, his skin was clear of cuts and bruising. I figured Lissa healed him as soon as he was back at the school. I could feel her body shaking with sobs, her face buried into Christian's shirt.

"I'm scared." Lissa whispers softly.

"What if...she's..." Lissa began to say but couldn't. She was worried that I was either dead or turned strigoi. "...oh Christian this is my fault."

Christian stares at her. "It's not your fault. The guardians are doing everything they can. I'm sure they'll find Rose."

There was uncertainty in his voice.

I was pulled from Lissa's head. Unsurprisingly, I woke up with a headache, considering how many times I was hit on the head. For a few seconds, I had no idea where I was or what happened. I felt very drowsy and unable to gather my thoughts together. I tried to sit up but I end up falling back down. Those damn strigoi must have drugged me. Then I started to feel very sick to my stomach.

Fuck. Strigoi was near.

I heard a door open and my stomach was getting more sick. Shit! Shit! Shit!

There was two people standing by my bed side. It was the blonde strigoi and with him was a female human. She wore a white trench coat suggesting that she was a doctor. Her bright blue eyes was trap in a dazed. They must have used compulsion on her.

She gently lifts up my head, turning it to the left and then to the right. "She has a minor concussion."

"Is she going to be okay?" The blonde strigoi demanded.

What? Why was he so concerned if I was alright? He's a goddamn strigoi. The evil undead for god sakes! He's not to have empathy!

"She'll be fine. The doxepine should be out of her system in the next couple of hours." The doctor said.

The blonde strigoi looks at her. "I'm a bit hungry, how about you let me bite you?"

The human doctor tilts her neck to the side and he quickly bit into her neck. The room was being filled with the sounds of her moans. Of course, the bites of a strigoi was a thousand times better than bites from moroi.

Then I heard the sickening sound of neck snapping and her body was drop to the floor. I instantly felt guilty because here I am laying here incapable of fighting and not being able to protect the human from harm.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, Rosemarie." He said. His mouth was smeared with fresh blood. "I tend to get easily...anxious."

"Fuck you." I spat. If I was going to die, I wanted to go Rose Hathaway style.

He chuckled. "That's what I like about you. Your feistiness." I felt his hand going from my neck to my chest. "And your dhampir body." He gave it a slight squeeze. "I bet the moroi men are all over you."

"Who the fuck are you?" I ask, getting annoyed.

"Nathan." He said simply.

"Okay Nathan, why did you keep my alive? Why not kill me or turn me?"

Nathan flashed a smile at me. "Because without you, how will I get the last Dragomir? Plus I think I wanna keep you all for myself."

* * *

Dimitri

It was the longest and agonizing twelve hours of my life. I was given iron supplements for the blood loss. Dr. Olendzki had sent me away to deal with others who had life threatening injuries.

I went over to the chapel. It was filled with moroi and dhampirs alike. Some cried. Some prayed. Some just stared off into space in shock. I wanted to cry. I wanted to pray. I couldn't. I couldn't do anything until I know what happened to Roza.

"Guardian Belikov!" I heard someone called for me. It was Guardian Alto. His face was covered in cuts with a couple bruising.

"Stan you should be-" I began to say but he cut me off.

"We're going to check the caves. Are you able to come with us?" He asks.

I nod.

The guardians had assembled a large group to check the caves. I was part of that group. I kept a emotionless face as our group enters the cave. The imagine of Rose lying dead on the ground kept flashing in my mind.

Hours went by as we found bodies of the dead. I haven't realized that Rose's mother, Janine, was part of the search. She went deeper into the cave and I followed her. She turned to look at me and hatred flashed over her face. I pretend it didn't bother me but I knew she blamed me. Rose had only came back to rescue me.

As I was searching, I found a small puddle of blood with a chotki next to the puddle. I knelt down to pick it up. It was Rose's chotki, the same one the princess have given to Rose in Spokane.

"Guardian Belikov." Janine calls for me. Her eyes was red and slightly puffy. "We have to leave the caves."

"What about Rose?"

Janine looks down. "She's not in here."

* * *

Lissa

Me and Christian waited by the border of the wards. I couldn't last five minutes without crying into Christian's chest. I needed to know if Rose was alive or dead. I dunno if I can handle the spirit darkness without her.

After three hours, someone yelled that the guardians was coming out of the caves. I leap up from Christian's embrace. I watch as the guardians was carrying the bodies of the dead. I looked at each face, wondering if Rose was next. I couldn't find her. I ran up to Guardian Belikov and Guardian Alto who was carrying the same strencher.

"Where's Rose?" I demanded.

Guardian Belikov didn't answer right anyway.

"I'm sorry princesss," His voice sounded broken."but she wasn't there."

I felt my heart shattered. I didn't want to believe him. "Did you look good enough? Maybe she's still in there-"

He didn't look at me. "Lissa," It was the first time he referred to me by my nickname. "Rose is not in the cave."

Rose. Her body was gone.

"No," I gasped out. "It can't be..."

A tear leaked from his eye. I never seen anything like this from him. He pulled something from his pocket. It was the chokti I given Rose. It was somewhat covered in blood.

My heart and world shattered. It was true.

My guardian and best friend since kidnergarden was dead.


	3. The Blame

Dimitri

The vrajitoare* was laid out my cards. The Knight of Rods, the Wheel of Fortune, and the Five of Cups. I watch as she flickers over the cards, looks at me, then back to the cards. Her expression was blank.

_"You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can."_

The scenery changes before me. I found myself back in the caves standing over Rose with a silver stake in my hand. We were surrounded by strigoi. I quickly got into a defensive crouch. They started to attack me one by one. I move as quick as I could staking each one in the heart.

Then they all vanished into thin air suddenly. Except for one. My Roza.

She was as beautiful as the day I met her. Except for the skin and eyes. Pale white skin and bright red eyes. She gave me a mencing look, her eyes filled with absolute hatred.

_"You promised, Comrade."_ Her voice was still the same, but colder.

She then launch herself at me, sharp blood stained teeth aimed for my neck. I couldn't bring myself to shove the stake into her heart.

* * *

I kept having the same dream the following week later. Every night I would hear those words play like it was stuck on auto replay.

_"You will lose what you value most, so treasure it while you can."_

At first I assumed it was my life. But it wasn't.

It had been my Roza.

Other than doing my guardian shifts, I haven't left my room since the attacks. Classes were cancelled until further notice but curfew was still in effect. Today the school were going to have memorial services for those lost. If I didn't have the shift of guarding, I would have stayed in bed. I didn't want to look at the face of Janine Hathaway, who blames me for the death of her daughter. She hasn't said it to me directly but her behavior and death glares said other wise.

As I was getting ready for my shift at the memorial service, I heard a knock on my door. I was surprised to see Princess Vasilisa and Lord Ozera waiting for me at my door.

"Princess Dragomir. Lord Ozera." I said, slightly bowing to them.

"We wanted to know if you were coming to the memorial service." The Princess said. "I know Rose wanted you there."

I look down at the floor. "I will be there."

There was a brief silence between the three of us. Lord Ozera broke the tension.

"Listen, you shouldn't blame yourself. It was too many of them for us to fight."

"You two should get going. Services starts soon." I told them.

I could see that the princess wanted to say something but she didn't press it further. They turned and walk away. I close the door and continue to get dress.

* * *

The chapel was completely pack with students and teachers. Father Andrew read the names of the fallen, including Rose. I felt my heart ache hearing her name. The princess seems to be holding well together consider the circumstances. Lord Ivashkov move from his seat to an open space near the princess and Lord Ozera. I never did like Adrian Ivashkov, mainly because of his reputation and he feeble attempts at wooing Rose.

After the service was over, I headed straight to my room and started to pack my belongings. I couldn't stay at the academy. It was too many memories of Roza, both happiness and grief.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dial for my mother.

_"Привет?" (Hello?)_

"Мама, это Дмитрий." I spoke onto the phone. (Mama, it's Dimka.)

_"Ты в порядке? Ты говоришь грустно." _Her tone was very concerned and worried._ (Are you okay? You sound sad.) _

"Я возвращаюсь домой. Для России". I told her. (I'm coming back home. To Russia.)

"Все в порядке? Что случилось?" She questions. (Is everything okay? What happened?)

"Академия была атака большой группы стригоев." I explained to her. (The academy was attack by a large group of strigoi.) "Мы потеряли много людей." (We lost alot of people.) I voice started to break. "Я потерял ее, и это моя вина, я не мог ее спасти." (I lost her and it's my fault I couldn't save her.)

* * *

Rose

I sat up on an enormous bed ib a darken room. No-not just a room. More like a suite or studio. One half of the studio contained the bed and usual bedroom accessories: a dresser, nightstand, etc. The other half look like a living room area, with a couch and a television.

Sliding off the bed, my senses were on high alert as I tried to asses my danger. My stomach felt fine; there were no strigoi in the area. I did the first obvious thing and check the door. It was locked, as I'd expected, and the only way of openning it was a numberic keypad. Plus it was heavy and made of steel.

I noticed the bed was covered ina ivory satin duvet, filled to the maximum fluffiness down. Creeping over to the living room, I saw that the TV was nice-really nice. Large creen plasma. The couches were nice too, covered in matte green leather. All of the furniture in the place-tables, desk, dresser-was made of a smooth, polished black wood.

Even thought it was a pretty nice place, it was my prison. They are holding me hostage.

I picked up a desk chair and slammed it against the window. I got no results. I tried twenty more times and still got no results. Then I got tried of using the chair and started to use my fist. I realized that the window was fitted into the wall and made of some type of plastic, making it very impossible to escape. I started to pound my fist hard against the plastic window, screaming at the top of my lungs, cursing and damning them all to hell.

My stomach warned me of strigoi when I finally stop hitting on the plastic window. I was too tired from crying and screaming to try to fight them.

"Oh Rosemarie why are you so sad?" It was Nathan's voice.

"Fuck off." I mutter.

I could feel his warm breath against my neck. "That's not how you'll talk to me."

"What do you want?" I said in a annoyed tone.

"For you to marry me."


	4. Twisted Mind

Rose

Woah. Did this sick asshole just ask for my hand in marriage? No way in hell I'm marrying a strigoi. I rather be dead. How the fuck is that even possible?

"Marry you?" I questioned. "And what makes you think I'll marry you? I'm a dhampir and you're a strigoi."

He gave me a half bored half amused smile. "So? I have ways of making you..."

He's right. Like the Moroi, Strigoi can use compulsion but theirs is like 100 times better than the Moroi. He can easily 'persuade me into becoming a Strigoi. I thought of my options. I was completely weaponless and trying to fight against Nathan would be completely suicidal.

"But that's no fun." Nathan continues. "And it's all too easy." He plays with a strand of my hair, curling it in his finger. "I'll be so much more...entertaining if I get you to like me."

He's more delusional than I thought. "You won't."

The look he gave me showed that he thought that was indeed a ridiculous thing to say. "I will. This situation now, your future, is in my hands. It's inevitable."

He stepped away and walked toward the living room without looking back at me. I was tempted to do a sneak attack on him, but something told me I probably only make it four feet before getting backhanded. He sat down in one of the luxurious armchairs, folding his six-foot-six frame gracefully. He studied me. I felt like dirt when he did, like slime oozing over my skin as he studied me.

"You changed over the years since I last saw you and the Dragomir girl."

I was curious to how he knew me and Lissa. Back at the Academy, he mentioned seeing me and Lissa when we were in kindergarten. He must have been a student before he became Strigoi. Based on his body type, he was most likely a dhampir before being turned.

"It's called puberty." I said sarcastically.

"And it ready work out for you." Nathan said. "I know the Moroi women are jealous."

I didn't know what to sat to that. I'd never really had a conversation with a Strigoi, short of trading a few insults and threats in the midst of a fight. The nearest I'd come was when I'd been held captive by Isaiah. I was tied up at the time, and most of the talking had been about him killing me. I crossed my arms over my chest and backed up against the wall. Closet I'll probably get to being defensive.

He tilted his head, watching me carefully. A shadow fell across his face.

"You can sit down,"

"I'm fine over here."

"Is there anything you want?"

That was a stupid question. "Um...to let me go."

"I meant in this room. Food? Books? Entertainment?"

"You make it sound like I'm in the Holiday Inn." I spat.

"To a certain extent, it is."

I rolled my eyes at the statement. I mumbled a series of curse words before looking at my captor. "So where the fuck am I?"

"In Russia."

Russia. Dimitri's home. He would tell me about all the wonderful things and gorgeous buildings if I was to ever visit. Thinking of Dimitri made me think of Lissa. Two of the most important people who mean the world to me.

"You're thinking about the russian dhampir. What was his name again? Dimitri Belikov?"

"How do you know-" I began to say.

"Our kind likes to keep track on those who are very well-known for killing Strigoi." He explains. "We always keep track on who we're up against when we hunt. You see Rosemarie, we don't just focus on the royal families. We like to take out the body guards. You're mother is on the hit list as well, considering her status as the "greatest guardian."

I felt my face burn with anger. How dare he threaten to take out my mother? Sure we don't have the best relationship in the world but she is still my mother. And if anyone is gonna take her out...it's going to be me.

"Then what the hell _are _you doing?" I demanded, all my pent-up fear bursting out as anger. "Why are you holding me here? Kill me or let me go."

"Brave words." He stood up. Nathan was now standing in front of me, moving in Strigoi speed. My Strigoi-nausea had never gone away but I somehow gain a tolerance to it.

"Killing you...was never an option. At first." he said. His voice drop to low whisper, like a slithering snake. "I want to awaken you."

I froze and stop breathing all together.

"No." It was the only thing I could say.

"Trust me, you don't know what it's like. All of your senses, the world, is more alive-"

"You're _dead."_

"Am I? Are all Strgoi dead? I have a heartbeat. I'm breathing." He states, taking my hand and placing it on his chest. I could feel the steady heartbeat.

"But..." I tried to think of everything I been taugh about Strigoi. "It's dark magic reanimating you. Illusion of life."

Both of his hands cupped my face. "It's like being a God. strength. Speed. And...immortality. You'll be free."

"Free of what exactly? My humanity?"

Nathan chuckles. "No my silly girl. Of them. The Moroi has treated you and me like we're second class citizens. It's our only purpose in life: _They come first._ Be a guardian or a blood whore." He had some deep resentment towards the Moroi. I didn't blame him. I feel like that some times. _No Rose! Don't empathize with the enemy!_

"We don't always-"

"Oh Rosemarie." He said. "Nothing you say will stop me from claiming you. Or awakening you." His bright red eyes stares into mines deeply. "And your friend."

"What?"

"I know about your bond with the Dragomir girl. I hear it takes a toll on your sanity if she uses her magic." He said. "Do you want to be with someone who can literally drive you crazy? I sure wouldn't."

He was right. He was right about the Moroi and Lissa-NO! He was trying to use compulsion on me. I was trying to fight the effect off but it was proving to be a real challenge. I turned my head away from him.

Wrong move.

He turned my face back to him and his lips found mines. I made a small sound of protest and tried vainly to escape his embrace. He was too strong. One arm encircled around my waist as the arm kept my head lock in place. His lips were cold but strongly felt soft.

"Oh Rosemarie." He breaths out, his lips making his way to my neck. He was surprisgly placing gentle kisses on my neck. "I must have you. Do you want this?"

"No-"

I felt it. The sharp bite of teeth into my skin as he closed his mouth down on my neck. For a moment, it was unbearable pain. Then it became bliss and joy. It was sweet and a hundred times better than when I let Lissa fed from me.

I felt the ripping of my jeans and the sudden cool air on my bare skin.

I didn't care.

His fingers trace along the ouside of my underwear, ripping them off in one swift movement. I was so aroused from the bite that Nathan managed to shove three fingers inside of me.

He pulled his mouth away from me. "I'm only doing this to awaken you, Rosemarie. I won't turn you...yet. This is simply to break you."

Then his mouth was back on mines and everything was a blur.


	5. Sydney the Alchemist

Dimitri

My trip back to Russia was dreadfully long. The flight itself was a little more than 30 hours along with restless sleep. When I did get the chance to drift off into my subconscious, Roza would invade my mind. Except she wasn't Rose. It was a monster who look like her.

To get to Baia, I was going to take a train since I couldn't drive there. Plus it was more dangerous driving or walking the long way because of the strigoi lurking around.

I was staying at a hotel that was near Nightingale. Nightingale was a well known club in both Russia and the US, for the rich and royal of Moroi. I decided take a walk because staying in my room for too long made me think of her. I been going in and out of Nightingale for a couple of days now, usually for a drink or two. Some of the guardians with their charges didn't give me a second glance and I was glad. No one bother me when I went to the bar inside the club. I was just finishing up with my second drink when the bartender place another drink in my spot.

"Я не заказать другой напиток." I spoke in Russian. (I didn't order another drink.)

"Я знаю. У тебя есть тайный поклонник." The human bartender said. (I know. You got a secret admirer.) He gestures to his right. Just five seat away from me was a Moroi woman who bright blue eyes and ebony color hair. She batted her long eyelashes at me, flashing a small grin. Strangely enough she had a strong resemblance of Tasha Ozera. I wonder if she was part of the Ozera family.

The moroi woman got up from her seat and moves closer to me. "Алло" (Hello.) She said to me. I could tell she was American because of her accent.

"Мне неинтересно. Извините." I said, getting up from my seat. (I'm not interested. Sorry.)

She gave me a pout look and grab my forearm. "Пожалуйста? Могу заплатить больше, чем вы зарабатываете ..." (Please? I can pay more than you earn...) I felt disgusted. Usually I heard of the moroi men looking for dhampir girls for sex. But this is the first time I was offered money for sex.

"I'm not a blood whore." I spat at her, yanking my arm from her grip. I never felt so offended in my life. My kind risk our lives everyday for the Moroi and yet they treat us like we're second class citizens or mere sex objects.

When I got outside and started walking back towards my hotel room, I heard footsteps following me. A shadow from behind was being cast be the flickering street light. I place my hands in my pocket, wrapping my fingers around my silver stake. No good guardian would let their presence be known to their target. The unknown person took a few steps and I quickly turn around with my stake out in the open.

I froze.

It was a human girl.

She was younger than me, maybe eighteen or nineteen years old, around Rose's height, with cropped dark blond hair and dressed in business casual. I recall seeing her yesterday with a couple of moroi men.

"You know you shouldn't have that thing out like that." The girl said, sounding annoyed. "People will think you're a psychopath."

"You shouldn't sneak up on people." I said to her.

"It must be you then?"

"Excuse me?"

"Look, you can't just do that, okay? It's a real pain in the ass to be getting rid of strigoi bodies-"

"Strigoi?"

The human girl steps from the shadows, revealing her face. On her left cheek, she had a golden lily tattoo. Of course she knew about our kind.

"I'm sorry. I rarely run into the Alchemist." I explained to her. The alchemists are humans who dedicate themselves to protect the humans from knowing about the vampire society. "What's your name?"

"Sydney Sage. Are you part of my internship or testing?"

"No," I shook my head. I gripped my stake tightly in my hand and my body became tense. Sydney studies at my sudden change of body language. For an Alchemist, she was very observant.

"What's wrong?"

"You might want to be still." I said, just as the strigoi was about to attack her.

The female strigoi made the mistake of going after Sydney instead of me. It was a bad move because she should've gone after me instead. A swift kick knock him against the brick wall and released Sydney from his grasp. The strigoi looks up at me, her bright red eyes angry and lips curled into a snarled, baring her fangs. She sprang up and aim towards me. I easily dodged her fist and just then Sydney came up and hit her on the back of the head. It only had startled the strigoi but it was enough for me to stake her in the heart. She let out a scream and struggled against my weight on her body until she stop moving.

I stared at the dead strigoi below my feet and thought to myself: _What if that was Rose?_

Ever since I got to Russia, it seems I always found myself killing strigoi who was stalking either moroi or humans. And every time I kill a female strigoi, I couldn't help but to think if I kill Rose or would I have the guts to do the deed. I felt my heart twisted. Her face on the strigoi.

I regained my calm exterior and my instincts was telling me to check if Sydney was alright.

"Are you alright?"

She was shaken but nodded in response. "Nice work," She said, trying to sound confident. "I never...I never... seen one killed before..."

"We should go to an area that is populated with humans."

"Wait, are you just going to leave it out in the open?" Sydney exclaims.

"My idea would definitely attract unwanted attention." I admit.

Sydney rolls her eyes and reach into her leather purse. From it, she produce a small vial with blue liquid inside it. She then proceed to sprinkle the blue liquid over the body and then step back. I watch as the strigoi was cocooned in yellow smoke and then grew smaller until there was nothing but a pile of ash.

"You're welcome." Sydney said, giving me a disapproving look.

"I'm sorry to cause you such trouble." I said honestly. "I was trying to stop them from hurting moroi and humans. How about, for your trouble, I get you some...coffee?"

She look at me in silence for several seconds before taking up my offer.

We went to this small cafe that Sydney likes to go to that was very busy with humans and moroi. I didn't know why I even offered to buy her coffee. It sounded like I was asking her out. But the truth was I was feeling lonely and I thought it would be nice to have a conversation with someone.

"Are you okay...um, whatever your name is?" Sydney was staring at me.

"Yes I'm fine. It is Dimitri."

Sydney and I sat outside of the cafe shop and look over the menu. There was a small selection of food that consisted of sandwiches and pastries. When the waitress arrived, I was surprised that Sydney ordered her food in perfect russian. I ordered a sandwich and a chocolate donut. I expected the alchemist to start asking me questions when the waitress left but instead she simply kept to herself, avoiding eye contact with me. I sense she was uncomfortable around me. I had forgotten that alchemist did see moroi and dhampirs as 'evil creatures of the night'. It really offended me since the moroi and dhampirs weren't naturally evil like the strigoi.

"You know," I began to speak. "I'm not like the strigoi if that is what you're thinking, Ms. Sage."

Her expression was bland. "Moroi drink blood. Dhampirs are the unnatural offspring of them and humans."

"Our kind is not evil...at least not strigoi evil."

"That's true." she said. "Strigoi are more evil."

I frown slightly. "Ms. Sage-"

"Please call me Sydney."

"Sydney, Moroi and dhampirs are not evil by nature. We, like your kind, have morals and values too." I argued. "Unlike the strigoi who are indeed evil by nature. I understand why you may see all vampires as evil but I assure you that's not the case with a majority of moroi and dhampirs."

Sydney opened her mouth to speak against my argument but the waitress had brought us our food.


End file.
